Headlight for automobiles.



J. DELLISON.. HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLIGAMONHLD JAN. 27, 1912.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v vv 3 mlmflntoq,

Patented Sept, 8, 1914.

JOHN D. ELLISON, OF UNION CITY, TENNESSEE. l

To all 'whom t may concern Be-"t known that I, JOHN D. ELLisoN, a.

4citizen of the. United States, residing at Union City, in Athe county off Obion and Stateof Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare Athe following to be a ull, clear, and exact descriptioncf the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to headlights for automobiles, especially for means to turn vehicle vis turning,

one of said headlights, namely the one on the inside of thecurve, in the direction the i while the Qp'herj or out-l sideheadlight is retained in its normal position facing directly ahead of' the car.

.i Vi lThe object of my invention1 is to 'make a.

.device of this kind ,inl the simplest possible expense-in manufac- 1' 'ture and; repair vwhile vproducing v a mechanism. which will operate with'zcertainty'. andbekdurable. v

.,;.`[t Will be understood, of course, thatrmy inventioii'j-is designed for the purpose ofpreventing .accidents which often result #from an automobile .encountering someV ob- 'stacle, either at one side of the road or the -other, Which-is1notilluminated by stationary headlights which point directly to the front when '.the'...car ,isrounding a curve nor by automaticheadlights which move in unison .m'ithe'directioii 1n which the car 1s turning.

'Wlien loner-headlight is turnedin the direction-vof'fthe czu'i've.E and the other remains p'ointed t'tliefront, lboth sides of the road vare ,wellj-'lightedw and such accidents are their actuh ,avidedis This .is :especially true when it is 4o` therheadlight: oigrzthe inside of .the curve' which'jisturnedfi The invention consists Ain the features of construction-'hud :combinations of 'parts herein described, illustrated in the accompanyingdra'wing and specifiediii the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a front '.y elevation of an automobile equipped with'fiy automatic headlights, the f orward nd,gf the s rings on which the headlights are` mounte beingbroken away `to more clearly disclose the connections between the spring andthe levers for turning said headlights. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the frontlntle showing .thev headlights and ng mechanism-indicating the Specification of Letters Patent.

HEADLIGHT FOR A'UTOMOBILES.

Patented sept. s, ism.

Fig. i is a de- .tail sectional view through one of the cuits illustrated in `Fig. 3, showing the m'eans of connection and the rod passing theretlirougli. lamp brackets.

'Referring more particularly to the. drawing, l designates the front axle ot an automobile to which are swiveled the front wheels 2 having rearwardly extending lever arms 3 connected by the usual steering rod 4 for turning saidwheels in unison.

The headlights 5 are preferably supported by brackets 6 riveted'at 7 or otherwise se- Each headlight is swiveled in its bracket and is provided with a lever arm 9 extending rearwardly thereof near to the vertical plane of the steering or connectingb'ar 4. As'illustrated in Figs. l to 5 inclusiveof the drawing, `said lever arms are connected tosaid steering bar by means of rods lO each s wiveied as .at l()2r at one of its ends to said bar near the center thereof and its other end portion passed through a4 cuff 11 swiveled at l1a -to one of said arms, the extremity of the rod4 beyond said cuff being headed or enlarged, as at 12, to prevent it from passing through said cuit. When the steering or connecting bar is actuated to turn the car to the right, as illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 2, the head 12 on the right hand'rod 10 will operate to turn its headlight in unison with the wheels, while the left hand rod merely slides through its culi without turning the corresponding headlight.` 'The operation of the headlight is reversed when the steering bar is actuated to turn the Vehicle to the left, as illustrated in dotted linesinv Fig. v2.

In order to prevent the headlight. on the outside of the curve from turning because of friction between the rod and cuiv or oth r- `wisemstops 14, preferably formed on t e.

brackets 6, are arrangedto. engage the outer edges of therespective lever arms-in rear of their pivotal points; The headlights are automatically returned to normal position, fac ing straight to the front, by a tension spring Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the '15 cured to the front springs 8 of the vehicle.

l5, or its equivalent, extending between, and

connected at its Opposite extremities to fot- 'tvardf extensions 16 Yon the lever arms 9.

Said.=spring normally holds said lever arms IContact with their stops'l4 inwhich osi' tion-the headlights face directly towar the I iam. aware that all' ,automobiles are not built alike and^'I,"thereore, reserve the right makefschlchanges, in order to adapt my improvements -toanyzand all makes, as may [I c'laimzfairly'fall the scope of'mvinvention.-

l...The-combina'tion, with the steering bar of a' vehicle, of 'a pairo -swiveledheadlights 'havin'gprojecting lever arms,'anda rod-con;- necting each of said' lever arms .to said steering .bar eachrodihaving sliding connection with 4its' lever arm in' one direction.

1 2. Thecombination, with the steeringbar of a vehicle, of a pair of swiveled headlights specified.

havingfprojecting lever arms, and rods ex# ltending in opposite directions .between said lever arms .and steering bar,l the'adjacent ends of saidrods being attached to the'la'tter and their other ends having sliding ennection with the respective lever arms in anv outward directionorthe purpose specified.

3. The combination, With'the steering bar 'of av'ehiclepof a pair of swiveled headlights havingprojeeting lever arms, and rods ex tendinglin opposite directions between 'said 'lever'farms and steering bar, the -adjatent ends of said rods being attached to the latter and their other -end portions having sliding on the latter, and rods extending 'looselythrough said cuffs and having heads adja- Acent to thesame, said rods being also. at-

tached to said 5. The combination, Withthe steering bar of 'a vehicle, of a pair of swiveled headlights having projecting leverarms, and reds e0n. nec'ting said lever arms to said steering bar' and having sliding connection with the 'former 41n one direetiom-andmeans adapted to engage'v the lever arm ofeach headlight for retaining one of the headlights in its nor.

mal positionduring thesliding movement of its connecting 'lod 'While the' other headlight is being turned'by its connecting rod.

steering bar f or the-purpose 6. The. combination,- ryith-the steeringibar of a. veh icle, fo'f a'pair of'fsviveled he ad. lights having projecting lever 'arms,"`culs svviveledon the latter, 'and .rods-extending adjacent to the saine, said-rods'h'ein'g-also at-v.. tached to said steering barfor-the purpose'-l headlightsin its normal position during 'the slidingmoveinent of itsV connecting rod While the other *headlight beingjtnrned lbyits;

of a' \-'ehicle,of. a pair ofswiveledheadlights having projecting lever .arms,'eachflevenarin" being provided with a1 forward extension,

rods connecting saidlever .arms to s aids'tj'eerg ing bai", said rodshaving slidingeonnection `with -the lever armsfin; one directiomfand means connected to saidforwardextensionsof the lever arms to automatically return-the l headlights tol .normal position--Qwlien' 'sa-idy steering bar is movedftogits normal position.

8. The combination with thestering'bar of a vehicle, 'of a pairof siviv'el'ed'headlights having projecting lever arms,'f'enoli- 'lej'zerarniA being provided with a 'lforwardfe'xtensiom rods to'connee't4 said lever farmsi'wi'th said steering bar, said-rods"liavnglsliding con?4` nection with'the lever arms in' .onedirectiin a 'stop adapted; to engage, tlieflevergarm of each headli ht to prevent-ftheaccidental I movement .o said headlight 1n"th, ef opp`o's1te' direction, vand means connected, 'to "the .`for*- ward extension of` eachle'ver'- arm to autol' matieally return said headlights: l to) normal position when the steering bar. is' f moved 4to its normal position..

9. A device-for .operating the lamps'oi a motor` car consistingof a' pluralityfof sWiv.-

eled headlightseach pivotallymounted'upon a2 standard,'a`. lever arm --connected". rigidly with. each lamp and extending .rearwardly therefrom, andV Iforward extensions to-'each of said lever arms, a rodjhaving pivotal con# 'nectionnwith' the steering bar of avehicle and loosely coupled to a lever arm to actuatethe same and its headlight inone direction.'

and resilient means connected tothe forward' extension for=. returnin`g j the' headlights to their normal position.

In testimony whereof, f I' aliix myf signature, in presence of'two Witnesses.- JOHN- D-...EIJLISON Witnesses:

Tuna DHU. RosENA Law'msnoie. 

